As each generation of Smartphone becomes more important to the day-to-day life of individual users, protection of the often-sensitive data contained on a Smartphone become increasingly important. Such protection is typically provided by securing a Smartphone with one or more forms of authentication. That is, a user must successfully complete an authentication process to be granted access to the Smartphone.
Early authentication processes involved entering a numeric password. Later, alphanumeric passwords added some complexity and, arguably, made passwords more memorable. In further advanced authentication processes, a Smartphone presents an image and completing an authentication process involves swiping a finger between several points on the image.
Situations requiring authentication may include enabling access to a physical location or allowing use of a credit/debit card or similar instrument. Passwords are typically alpha-numeric strings or sequences entered on a keyboard. Graphical authentication systems, where passwords are comprised of graphical components, also exist.